Parts identification · Rolling Shutter Guide
Can I get parts for an older or other-brand rolling shutter, and what is interchangeable?
Often, if each part is matched by measurement rather than by name. Pull straps, tubular motors, remotes and many box parts can be matched across makes, but a motor needs the crown, drive and bracket for its axle, a remote must match the motor brand, and slats must fit the existing hinge and rails. Send photos and measurements before ordering.
Key facts
- Every Roll-A-Shield pull-strap and crank-strap shutter is built with 15 mm strap, so measure the width of an existing strap before ordering a replacement for another make. Roll-A-Shield data
- Remotes do not cross motor brands: Gaposa's current remotes and radio motors work at 434.15 MHz and Somfy RTS motors at 433.42 MHz, and Roll-A-Shield never swaps one motor brand for another.
- Very old shutters with a round axle cannot take current axle adapters, which Roll-A-Shield no longer carries, so a new motor there usually means a new axle; the box can often be reused. Roll-A-Shield data
- OZRoll battery-shutter parts have no US distributor, so repairs depend on the parts on hand; the older BOS battery switchboard is no longer made at all. Roll-A-Shield data
- Roll-A-Shield asks for a photo before booking any repair on an old shutter, because a unit in poor condition may need a sales visit for a replacement rather than a service call. Roll-A-Shield data
Applies to: Rolling shutters of any make or age with a box, guide rails and a strap, crank, spring or tubular-motor operator; Gaposa, Somfy and OZRoll motors.
What is usually interchangeable, and what is not?
Most rolling shutters are built from the same kinds of parts, so a lot can be matched across makes. The catch is that each part has to match something already on the shutter, and the name on an old order or a profile size is not enough to go on.
| Part | Usually matchable across makes? | What has to match |
|---|---|---|
| Pull strap or crank strap | If the width matches | The strap width; Roll-A-Shield builds every strap and crank-strap shutter with 15 mm strap |
| Tubular motor | Often, within a brand | The axle size and profile, the crown and drive for that motor family, the mounting bracket, switch or radio control, and enough lift for the curtain weight |
| Remote | Only within the motor brand | The motor's brand and radio system |
| Slats | Sometimes | The hinge shape, face height, thickness, rail channel and color |
| Guide rails | Only with the matching slat | Each slat runs in its own rail; on Roll-A-Shield shutters a rail takes 2.0875 in to 3.346 in per side |
| End caps, bearings, axle inserts | Case by case | The box size and the axle size; send a photo of the end of the box |
| OZRoll battery parts | Limited | Parts on hand only; no US distributor |
| BOS battery switchboard | No | No longer manufactured; a failure usually means converting |
What do you need from me to identify a part?
Measure; do not match by name. Before Roll-A-Shield quotes a motor or axle retrofit it collects the box height, width and depth, the guide-rail thickness, the details of the current motor and the type of tube. For slats it needs the slat type (foam-filled or extruded, standard or mini, vented or not), its dimensions and, if there is one, the original order. Photos do the rest:
- The whole shutter, closed.
- One end of the box, side on.
- The remote or wall control, and any label you can see on the motor.
- The part you need, next to a tape measure.
Production confirms the exact slat before any slat is quoted.
Will a new motor fit my old axle?
On a shutter with an octagonal axle, usually yes. Current shutters run on octagonal 40, 60 or 70 mm axles, and a new tubular motor fits any of them once it has the crown and drive made for that axle and that motor family. Pick the motor by curtain weight, not by square feet: weight in lb = width in × height in × the slat's weight per sq ft / 144. See what size motor a shutter needs.
The exception is a very old shutter with a round axle tube. Roll-A-Shield no longer carries adapters for round axles, so a new motor there usually means a new axle as well; the box can often be kept. More on the motor side is in a Somfy or Gaposa motor in another company's shutter.
Will a new remote work with my old motor?
Only one made for the same motor brand. Gaposa's current remotes and radio motors work at 434.15 MHz and Somfy RTS motors at 433.42 MHz, and Roll-A-Shield treats the two brands as never interchangeable. A switch-operated motor has no radio receiver, so it does not respond to a remote. The full answer is on which remote works with my motor.
Which parts can I buy online?
The online store carries Gaposa radio tubular motors, Gaposa handheld, wall and keypad remotes and the RollApp hub, hanging straps in three sizes, strap discs, nylon pull strap in 15, 20, 25 and 30 ft lengths, the pull-strap box, the crank box and crank handle, the diamond roller, wall switches and rail plugs, and an OZRoll battery and charger. Somfy motors, slat curtains and slats, override and crank wands, end caps, bearings and other repair parts are ordered by phone.
When is an old shutter not worth fixing?
When the repair adds up to most of a new shutter: needing both a new motor and a new curtain, for example, is close to buying a new shutter. Roll-A-Shield asks for a photo before booking a repair on an old unit, and a shutter in poor condition may need a sales visit instead of a service call. A failed BOS battery switchboard is the clearest case: it is no longer made, so a failure usually means converting to a new battery or solar system. The trade-offs are on repair or replace an old rolling shutter.
Watch it done
Product Overview – Guide Rails
The written steps on this page are the reference; the video shows the same job.
Frequently asked questions
My installer went out of business. Can I still get parts?
Usually. Most parts are identified from photos and measurements rather than from the original order, and Roll-A-Shield services shutters regardless of who built them. Start with the steps in who made my shutter.
Are the parts on the online store only for Roll-A-Shield shutters?
They are the parts Roll-A-Shield fits to its own shutters, sold as replacement parts. On another make, check the strap width, the hanging-strap size or the remote brand against yours before ordering.
Do parts come with instructions?
The replacement procedures are published in this guide, for example replacing a strap and replacing a motor. They are written for Roll-A-Shield shutters, so check each step against your own unit.
Parts and next step
Need a part or a hand?
Send photos of the shutter, the box end, the remote or wall control and the part you need, with the box size, and call (480) 921-0200 before ordering anything for another make. Call (480) 921-0200; the factory answers technical questions for any rolling shutter, not only ours.